Bagel Diaries

1872 — Cream cheese is invented. In 1880, Philadelphia Cream Cheese was started, and in 1920, Breakstone Cream Cheese

1880’s — Thousands of Eastern European Jews immigrated to the United States. They brought with them a desire for bagels. Soon bagels became closely associated with New York and Chicago, both cities with large Jewish populations.

1907 — A union just for bagel bakers is formed, the International Bakers Union, joining together 300 bakers. Only sons of union members could be apprenticed to learn the secrets of bagel baking in order to safeguard the culinary art.

1935 — The first Bagel Boss opened, bringing high quality New York bagels to Long Island.

1960s — Bagel production skyrocketed as machines capable of producing 200 to 400 bagels per hour were popularized.

1987 — Bagels made their way into mainstream America, sold around the country in grocery stores and listed as standard items on fast food menus.

1988 — Americans were eating an average of one bagel per month.

1993 — America’s consumption of bagels doubled to an average of one bagel every two weeks